Senior Customer Manager

Looking for a job that can grow into a lifelong career?
At Lactalis USA, we believe in promoting from within and giving our employees meaningful opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Whether you're just starting out or bringing years of experience, we'll provide the tools and support you need to succeed.

Lactalis is the world leader in dairy-a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Every day, we're proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together every day.

In the US, we offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani Italian cheeses and ricotta, President specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone's cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond cheddar, and Parmalat milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi's, Stonyfield Organic, Brown Cow, Oui, Yoplait, Go-Gurt, :ratio, Green Mountain Creamery, and Mountain High, along with sour cream and a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun, Gopi, and Arz.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values-Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We're building a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone's unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don't meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us make an impact.

We are seeking a dynamic, results-oriented Senior Customer Manager of sales to lead and drive growth across key retail partners on our Midwest Yogurt Retail Business (Oui, Yoplait, Go-gurt, :ratio). This role will report into the Head of Sales and sit on the Sales Leadership team. As a senior leader within our Sales organization, you will be responsible for developing and executing customer strategies that deliver against company revenue, margin, and market share objectives. This role is ideal for a strategic thinker with a proven track record in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry who excels at building customer relationships, leading high-performing teams, and collaborating cross-functionally.

From your PASSION to ours

This role will manage a team of account reps spanning various retail customers. It is expected that this individual will support building strategic relationships and engaging at senior levels with retailers and broker teams to drive joint business planning and growth. This role is focused on achieving growth targets (both top and bottom line) through strong collaboration with our Retail Customers, HQ sales team, Commercial team, and broker partners.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

Strategic Leadership

* Develop and lead the execution of the sales strategy for assigned customers, aligned to company growth objectives.

* Translate brand and commercial priorities into customer plans that maximize volume, profitability, and in-store presence.

* Partner with Marketing, Revenue Growth Management, Trade Finance, Supply Chain, and Category Management to ensure fully integrated customer and brand plans.

Team Leadership & Development

* Lead, coach, and mentor a team of Sales Managers and/or Account Executives.

* Foster a high-performance culture built on accountability, collaboration, and continuous development.

* Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within the team and across the organization.

Customer Management

* Build and strengthen relationships with key retailers, brokers, and distributor partners at senior levels.

* Lead top-to-top meetings and Joint Business Planning (JBP) sessions to drive mutual growth.

* Monitor customer performance and develop action plans to address gaps and maximize opportunities.

Performance & P&L Management

* Own and manage the P&L for assigned customers or regions.

* Deliver against volume, revenue, trade spend, and profitability targets.

* Analyze customer data, category trends, and market conditions to inform decision-making.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

* Act as the voice of the customer internally and the ambassador of the brand externally.

* Collaborate with demand planning and operations to improve forecast accuracy and service levels.

* Provide input into new product launches, pricing strategies, and promotional planning.

Location & Travel Requirements:

* Location: Remote eligible

* Domestic Travel 30-50% time; potential opportunity for Global travel

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

* Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, or related field; MBA preferred.

* Preferred: 10+ years of progressive experience in CPG sales, with 3 years in sales leadership

* Proven success in managing major retail or channel accounts

* Strong P&L ownership and financial acumen.

* Exceptional leadership, negotiation, and communication skills.

* Experience leading and developing high-performing sales teams.

At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.